Dispensing carton with recloseable pouring spout



Dec 6, 1966 s. A. SVENSSON 3,289,913

DISPENSING CARTON WITH REGLOSEABLE POURING SPOUT Filed Feb. 16, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/V VE/VTOR sown/v A. VENSSON AT TORZVEY Dec. 6, 1966 s. A. svENssoN 3,289,913

DISPENSING CARTON WITH RECLOSEABLE POURING SPOUT Filed Feb. 16, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lA/VE/VTOR ATTORNEY SOLUMIN A. SVE/VSSG/V D 1966 s. A. SVENSSON 3,289,913

DISPENSING CARTON WITH RECLOSEABLE POURING SPOUT Filed Feb. 16. 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 SOLDAN A. SVE'NSSON By A TTOHNE Y United States Patent ()fifice Patented Eec. 6, E3236 Seidau States Zraeer or tron of Deiawa Filed as 1965. No. 433,118

or. sea-17 This invention relates to a dispensing container and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in a container or carton having a recloseable pouring spout for the discharge of the contents of the container.

Heretofore, numerous dispensing cartons have been designed to include pouring spouts which are adapted to be opened and then closed, and while some of these prior devices have been reasonably satisfactory from a functional standpoint, they have been unduly costly, not only in the material required but in the time consumed and the special machinery necessary for assembly. Others which have been designed with economy in mind have proven unsatisfactory from a functional standpoint it is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a dispensing carton having a reclosable pouring spout formed primarily from the end flaps of the blank, thus requiring no extra stock, and, naturally, reducing the cost of materials employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing carton having a pouring spout which may be easily opened and tightly reclosed to prevent spillage.

A further object and advantage of the invention resides in the design of the blank from which the carton is made which has a minimum of overlapping areas, thus reducing the usage of stock and requiring a minimum of adhesive patterns which facilities and exped-ites gluing and assembly.

A still further object is to provide a pouring spout which is so coordinated with the closure fiap as to automatically cause the latter to open and close upon the corresponding movement of the spout.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a blank from which a plurality of cartons may be produced and wherein the cartons are laid out so that protruding areas which provide the spout of one carton are cut from the adjacent edge of the pattern of the preceding carton to thereby avoid waste and reduce the cost of materials.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar par-ts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank on which the areas defining a plurality of cartons are indicated;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end of a tubular carton showing the arrangement of bottom end flaps;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom end view showing the end flaps in the course of being folded and sealed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of a tubular carton showing the arrangement of top flaps and pouring spout panels;

FIG. 5 is a similar view illustrating the initial step in closing the top flaps of the carton;

FIG. 6 illustrates the second closure step;

FIG. 7 shows the top portion of the carton in closed and sealed position;

FIG. 8 shows the closure flap of the spout broken away and the spout tab in position for opening;

FIG. 9 shows the spout in open position; and

FIG. 10 shows the spout in reclosed position.

Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the paperboard blank is cut and scored to define the panels, endfla is and pouring spouts of a plurality of identical cartons. Each carton section of the panel in the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes two relatively wide rectangular upright side wall panels 11 and 12, the edges of which are connected along parallel fold lines 13 and '14 respectively to an intervening narrower upright side wall panel 15. The opposite longitudinal edge of panel 11 is hingedly connected on fold line 16 to a second narrow side wall panel 17, the latter being connected along its opposite longitudinal edge to a sealing flap 18 along a fold line 19. As will later appear, the free longitudinal edge of the other wide side wall 12 is provided with a glue or adhesive pattern 20 to which the sealing flap 18 is secured to retain the cart-on in tubular form.

I-iingedly connected to the upper extremity of side wall panel 11 along fold line 21 is a top end flap 22, and its lower extremity is similarly connected along fold line 23 to a bottom flap 24. The other side panel 12 is also provided with top and bottom end flaps complementary to those of panel 11. Thus, top flap '25 is connected along fold line 26 and bottom flap 27 along fold line 28. The same is true of the intervening side wall panel 15 which carries a top end flap 29 foldably connected along line 30 and bottom end flap 31 connected along fold line 32. As will be apparent from FIG. 1, the adjacently formed end flaps are all separated from one another by cut lines and independently foldable, being cut in this fashion in the usual stamping operation. The upper edge of top flap 22 is provided with a glue pattern 33 which is substantially the same length as that of the top end 29 for adhesion to the adjacent face of the latter when folded, as will later appear. Similarly, the upper edge of top flap 25 is provided with a glue pattern 34 which extends the entire length of the flap for adhesion to the adjacent underlying face of flap 22; when folded.

Much of the foregoing relates to more or less conventional structure, and we come now to the essential feature of the invention, namely, the pouring spout. As will be seen from FIG. 1 and earlier mentioned, the pouring spout is formed primarily from the end flaps of the blank which thus conserves the paperboard stock. The upper extremity of the narrow side wall 17 is hingedly connected along fold line 35 to a multipanel top flap and spout combination, generally designated by the numeral 36. This combination structure includes a first panel 37 which is foldable upon itself along a central fold line 38 to ultimately provide a combined closure flap and pull tab, which will also be designed as 37 in describing the completed carton. This panel 37 terminates at its opposite extremity in a bifurcated structure having a central panel 39 and two oppositely disposed, laterally projecting, arcuate guide Wings 40 and 41, hingedly connected to the panel along parallel fold lines 42. The panel 39 is hingedly connected to panel 37 on fold line 43. A portion of the arouate wing 41 is cut and formed from the upper corner of top flap 22 and the panel 37 is cut free of the adjacent edge of panel 22, as Will be clear from the drawing.

Adjacent the fold line 35, the side panel 17 is provided with a downwardly spaced, parallel fold line 44, and two vertically scored tear lines 45 extend upwardly from the fold line 44 and define a pull-out spout base panel 46 bounded by the fold lines 35' and 4d and the scored lines 45. This base panel is substantially the same size as the central panel 39 at the bifurcated end of the combination structure 36, and the entire surfaces of panels 37 and 39 are provided with glue or adhesive, as shown. The lower extremities of the narrow panel 17 and closure flap 18 are provided with hinged end flaps 47 and 43 respectively, and the bottom end flap 27 of panel 12 is provided with a glue pattern, as shown, so that these end flaps may be overlapped and sealed.

Returning to the spout structure, the end of top flap 22 adjacent the pouring spout combination panel 36 is provided with a vertical fold line 49, and extending therefrom to the adjacent out line 45 of spout base panel 46 is a out line t Similarly, the opposite end of top panel 25 is provided with a vertical fold line 51, and extending therefrom to the end of the panel is a out line 52. As will later appear, these out lines and fold lines provide c-oacting closure flaps 53 on panel 22 and 54 on panel 25 which are ultimately glued together and are jointly foldable on registering fold lines 49 and 51.

As previously pointed out, one of the advantages of the present invention resides in the design of the pattern wherein the pouring spout is formed primarily from end flap material. As an additional conservation measure, a portion of the pouring spout structure of one carton pattern is partially formed from the adjacent bottom edge of the pattern of the preceding carton. Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, a portion of the bifurcated structure 36 of the lowermost carton pattern illustrated is cut out as at 55 from the bottom flaps 24, 47 and 48 of the preceding carton pattern. This cut-out area 55 in no way detracts from the sealing of the bottom of the completed carton, as will be apparent from the drawing illustrating the erected carton.

In erecting the carton in rectangular, tubular form, the various vertical panels are conventionally folded along their respective fold lines to the position shown in FIG. 2, and the glue pattern on panel 12 is secured to the underlying face of sealing flap 18, which is hingedly connected to panel 17. The end panels 31 and 47 are then folded inwardly along their fold lines, after which panel 24 is folded thereover, as shown in FIG. 3. Panel 27 with flap 48 glued thereunder is then folded over panel 24 and glued in sealed condition.

The top end of the carton is now in the condition shown in FIG. 4, and prior to filling, the centrally foldable panel 37 of the combination spout structure 36 is folded upon itself along fold line 38 to provide a combined end flap and pull tab, as shown at 37 in FIG. 5, and the wings 40 and 41 are folded along their fold lines 42, after which the glued panel 39 is sealed to the inner face of the cut and hinged panel 46 at the upper end of side panel 17, all as shown in FIG. 5. In actual practice, it may be desirable to'fold and seal the elements of the combination spout structure 36, as above described, prior to actually erecting the carton in tubular form.

After filling, the top end flap 29 is first folded inwardly and then the combination end flap and pull tab 37 at the opposite side of the carton. Top end flap 22 is then folded over flaps 29 and 37 as in FIG. 6, after which top flap is folded over panel 22. The adhesive str1p 34 of fiap 25 adheres to the adjacent surface of flap 22, which seals the carton, as shown in FIG. 7.

To facilitate the opening and projection of the pour spout, the edge of the closure flap 54 is preferably provided with a slightly projecting gripping tab 54a, as seen in FIG. 7, and by grasping this tab, this closure flap, together with the underlying flap 53, are swung upwardly along the registering fold lines 49 and 51. As seen in FIG. 8, these flaps, being glued together, move jointly upwardly and are detached along their respective cut lines 52 and 50. The raising of the closure flap 54 permits pull tab 37 to be swung upwardly along fold line 35, and by grasping this pull tab and pulling outwardly, the base panel 46 with panel 39 glued to the underside thereof is severed along cut lines 45 and swung outwardly on fold line 44 to the position shown in FIG. 9. The outward swinging of the panels 46 and 39 provides a spout opening and withdraws the guide Wings 40 and 41 which are hingedly connected to 39, and the spout is now in position for dispensing the contents of the carton.

It will be apparent that this overlapping arrangement of adjoining panels 39, 37 and 46 provides a laminated spout structure of substantial rigidity, capable of withstanding oonsiderable manipulation. Also, the laminated effect produced by the overlying panels 53 and 54 of the closure flap adds rigidity to this element, which facilitates its repeated opening and reclosing without mutilation.

In order to reclose the spout when the carton has been only partially emptied, the closure flap 53-54 is first swung forwardly and downwardly on its hinge line 51 to a position between the guide wings 40 and 41, over the discharge opening of the spout. Thereafter, by pushing the laminated panels 46 and 39 inwardly, the friction of the wings 40 and 41 on the adjacent edges of closure fiap 54 causes the latter to move inwardly to completely closed position, underlying panels 4639, as shown in FIG. 10. Thereafter, to reopen the spout, it is simply necessary to again pull on tab 37 and the friction above referred to causes the guide wings 40 and 41 to frictionally reopen the closure flap 54.

It will be apparent that the pour spout of the present invention provides a very efficient dispensing means which may be easily opened and reclosed so that the content of the carton is prevented from spillage. Furthermore, the arrangement is such that the carton can be completely sealed, and the reinforcement provided by the laminated pouring spout and closure flap provides a basically strong carton which can resist considerable twisting during handling and shipping. All of this is accomplished with the utilization of a minimum of stock and a minimum of glued panels.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a rectangular carton having side walls and respectively overlapping top and bottom end flaps formed from a common blank of paperboard or the like, a recloseable pouring spout comprising a partially severable base panel formed at the upper extremity of one of said side walls and transversely hinged thereto for outward swinging movement, right angularly disposed arcuate guide wings connected to opposite side edges of said base panel and directed inwardly therefrom in sliding engagement with adjacent side walls of said carton, the upper extremity of said base panel terminating in a combined pull tab and inwardly foldable top end flap, one top end flap of an adjoining side wall overlapping said cambined pull tab and inwardly foldable top end flap, and a partially severable closure flap formed from the end of said one top end flap, overlying said combined pull tab and end flap, said closure flap being hingedly connected to said one end flap and upwardly swingable to expose said pull tab for the projection of said pouring spout.

2. A carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide wings frictionally engage the adjacent edges of said closure flap, whereby the motion of projecting and retracting said pouring spout is correspondingly transmitted to said closure flap.

3. A carton as claimed in claim 2, wherein said closure flap is foldable inwardly between the opposed faces of said guide wings, and said base panel is adapted to be folded inwardly thereover to reclose the spout.

4. In a dispensing carton having rectangular side walls and top and bottom end flaps formed from a common blank of paperboard or the like, a recloseable pouring spout comprising a partially severable base panel formed from a portion of one of said side walls and transversely hinged thereto for outward swinging movement, integral second and third panels formed substantially from the material defining two adjacent top end flaps on said blank, said second panel being transversely folded upon itself and hinged along one edge to said base panel, providing a combined pull tab and inwardly foldable top end flap, said third panel being hinged to the opposite edge of said second panel and secured in face-to-face contact with the inner face of said base panel, substantially arcuate guide wings hinged to opposite extremities of said third panel and respectively directed inwardly therefrom in silding engagement with adjacent side walls of said carton, respective top end flaps being foldable and scalable in overlapping relation, and a partially severable spout closure flap formed from and hinged to at least the uppermost overlapping top end flap in a position normallly overlying the pouring spout when the latter is retracted in said car-ton, whereby, when said spout closure flap is partially severed and swung upwardly, said combined pull tab and top end flap is exposed, and when the latter is pulled outwardly, it severes said base panel and withdraws said third panel and connected guide wings.

5. In a rectangular carton having side walls and respectively overlapping top and bottom end flaps formed from a common blank of paperboard or the like, a recloseable pouring spout comprising a partially severable base panel formed at the upper extremity of one of said side walls, transversely hinged thereto for outward swinging movement to provide a side wall opening for said spout and serve as the bottom wall of said spout, a base reinforcing panel laminated to and outwardly swingable with said base panel, right angularly disposed guide wings connected to opposite lateral edges of said reinforcing panel and directed inwardly therefrom in sliding engagement with adjacent side walls of said carton, a combined pull tab and inwardly foldable top end flap formed integrally with said base panel and reinforcing panel, one top end flap of an adjoining side wall overlapping said combined pull tab and inwardly foldable top end flap, and a partially severable closure flap formed from the end of said one top end flap, overlying said combined said pull tab and end flap, said closure flap being hingedly connected to said one end flap and upwardly swingable to expose said pull tab for the projection of said pouring spout.

6. A carton as claimed in claim 5, wherein said guide wings frictionally engage the adjacent edges of said closure flap, whereby the motion of projection and retracting said pouring spout is correspondingly transmitted to said closure flap.

7. A carton as claimed in claim 6, wherein said closure flap is foldable inwardly between the opposed faces of said guide wings, and said base panel is adapted to be folded inwardly thereover to reclose said spout.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,553,752 9/1925 Cooper 22917 2,332,153 10/1943 Levin 229l7 X 2,610,770 9/ 1952 Renfield.

2,943,779 7/1960 Buttery' 229-17 3,057,534 10/1962 Silver 229-17 3,079,063 2/1963 Yezek 22917 GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A RECTANGULAR CARTON HAVING SIDE WALLS AND RESPECTIVELY OVERLAPPED TOP AND BOTTOM END FLAPS FORMED FROM A COMMON BLANK OF PAPERBOARD OR THE LIKE, A RECLOSEABLE POURING SPOUT COMPRISING A PARTIALLY SEVERABLE BASE PANEL FORMED AT THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND TRANSVERSELY HINGED THERETO FOR OUTWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT, RIGHT ANGULARLY DISPOSED ARCUATE GUIDE WINGS CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID BASE PANEL AND DIRECTED INWARDLY THEREFROM IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH ADJACENT SIDE WALLS OF SAID CARTON, THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID BASE PANEL TERMINATING IN A COMBINED PULL TAB AND INWARDLY FOLDABLE TOP END FLAP, ONE TOP END FLAP OF AN ADJOINING SIDE WALL OVERLAPPING SAID COMBINED PULL TAB AND INWARDLY FOLDABLE TOP END FLAP, AND A PARTIALLY SEVERABLE CLOSURE FLAP FORMED FROM THE END OF SAID 